FOREST GROVE, Ore.- Jacob Bolger (Junior/Portland, OR) scored a career-high 24 points to lead Pacific to an impressive 73-68 victory over George Fox, Saturday night inside the Stoller Center.
The Boxers (7-12, 3-7 NWC) had a decent night shooting the basketball after a tough first half. Pacific finished with a field-goal percentage of 40% (24-60) while going 5-of-14 from three-point range.
George Fox (10-9, 5-5 NWC) struggled with Pacific's defensive pressure, shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc. The Bruins shot under 40% from the floor and committed 11 turnovers. They were led by Zac Schmerber who scored 25 points.
Bolger enjoyed a career night with 24 points in 24 minutes of play. The junior was 10-of-20 from the floor with six rebounds while making his presence felt on the defensive end.
Jared Cattell (Senior/Bremerton, WA) and
Mario Mora (Senior/Bend, OR each dropped 12 points with two three-pointers apiece.
Lucas Winkler (Freshman/Portland, OR) put in a decent performance as well with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
How It Happened
The Boxers opened the contest on a 6-0 run to build an early lead. Winkler finished off a layup in transition to get Pacific on the board before Mora knocked down his first three-point attempt of the contest. Despite the hot start, George Fox quickly erased the deficit to level the score at 7-7. It was a defensive battle in the early minutes as the two teams started the game a combined 6-of-27 from the floor.
However, a pair of triples from Mora and Cattell followed by a Bolger dunk would kick-start an 8-0 run for the hosts. This was part of a 5-for-7 stretch that allowed Pacific to build a 21-13 advantage at the 7:41 mark in the first half. Bolger provided a big three-point play towards the end of the half that would propel the Boxers to a 32-23 lead.
Despite shooting just 32.3% from the field in the first half, the Pacific defense proved to be dominant, holding the Bruins to just 27.3% from the floor and 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.
Bolger continued his excellent night with two quick buckets in the paint to start the second half. A three-ball from Cattell would extend the Boxers' lead, but George Fox would answer with an 10-0 run to cut the deficit to just one point. Winkler ended Pacific's scoring drought by draining a three and
Isaiah Africano (Junior/Pearl City, HI) finished off a three-point play to put Pacific up by seven.
The Bruins would not go away, however, rattling off nine straight points including a four-point play to take their first lead of the game with seven minutes left to play. George Fox would continue their hot shooting streak by hitting another three to stretch their lead to five points.
Back-to-back baskets from Bolger would give the Boxers some momentum and they would later regain their lead after two Mora free-throws.
With 2:55 remaining in the contest, Pacific held a 67-62 lead, but two quick buckets from the visitors would make it a one-point game with just under a minute to play.
Ethan Chung (Junior/San Ramon, CA) came up clutch with a tough layup through some contact to make it a three-point lead. On the next possession, the Boxers would force a turnover. Pacific would get another stop and
Trevon Ridley (Freshman/Murrieta, CA) would hit two foul shots to give his team the victory.
By The Numbers
- Pacific won the rebounding battle 40-39.
- George Fox committed two technical fouls in the contest and Pacific was charged with one.
- The Boxers scored 63 points in the paint.
Up Next
Pacific returns to the Stoller Center on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. to host Whitman.
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